SPRING HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!

Spring Day, New Plane, First Flight Final Adjustments

First Flight, New Plane

The Open Road

Spring has a way of sneaking up on a guy, and this spring is no different. The weather finally broke towards the norms of spring with sunshine and moderate temps in the Pittsburgh area. Parks that were void of people suddenly burst at the seams with people—young and old—coming out of the cabin for a little sun.

The winter was hard on the joints, as the swings groaned, squeaked, and complained of the kids now pushing them to their structural limits. All of this was done with a smile. The birds, deer, and small wild animals also had that look of spring chasing each other through the trees and shadows. The cold and deafening silence of winter was now devoured by the beautiful sounds of songbirds, children laughing in a most silly and giddy way, and adults yelling for their juvenile delinquent dogs to come back; they too were feeling their oats on this spring day.

Motorcyclists also escaped their workday bounds, and hit the roads for the first time in large numbers. This bond of man and machine is a symbiotic one, one giving the other what they themselves cannot. It is a very liberating thing to ride a motorcycle unencumbered out in the vast openness of the universe. To the deep throaty sound of the engine, the miles go by, and the rider can be whoever he or she truly is. The bike does not care if you are thin or more, if you are young or old, if you made a mistake today, if you are dressed in this or that, if you are rich or poor ... it only cares that you ride. You know that there is no destination in a journey.

Spring has finally arrived back here in Western Pennsylvania.

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Sports Update:

The Penguins are in first place in the eastern conference, and a guaranteed home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Crosby and Hossa finally got together after a rather lengthy of both or one being injured, and together they make a formidable adversary for the competition.

Pitt’s season ended in the tournament after winning the Big East Championship, a great season nonetheless … well done Pitt!

The Pirates season starts tomorrow in Atlanta. The good news is they are still in first place!

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Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

Easter

Easter Flowers

Holidays overseas can be very difficult, as the loneliest and homesick Soldier on the planet is the American Soldier. This is because they have the most to miss, the most to dream about, and the most to lose. This loneliest status should be a warning to the enemy that it is anything but, a weakness. Fighting for something one loves is the most powerful motivation that there is in life. Seeing it otherwise has been the bane of our enemies since the beginning of our country … and the strength of our troops. There is no shame in being homesick, lonely, and missing the ones you left back home, it is a privilege to have that someone to miss. You above all others know what really matters in life, as one does when his or her life is on the line. This is what you must carry with you everyday, every time you go out there … it will bring you back.

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Irish Eyes Smiling

Irish Revelers

The Pittsburgh Recruiting Battalion retires its colors Friday.
(Photo by Heidi Murrin/Tribune Review)

On Saturday the second largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the country, next to New York City, took place right here in Pittsburgh. The crowd was estimated at 260,000 people attending the festivities. Downtown looked green from above, as witnessed by pilots in aircraft, as well as residents in the buildings in the area of the parade route. Local and state dignitaries along with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made the walk, working the crowd. Pittsburgh, being the big town with small town ethics’ behaved rather well considering the size of the crowd and the alcohol consumed later in the after party in Market Square. I was able to blend in and shoot portraits of some of my newfound friends. It was a nice time on a very special day here in Pittsburgh.

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Local Military News:

Friday was a special day for local Army personnel as well. The Army disbanded the Pittsburgh Recruiting Battalion. This ended three decades of service where 54,000 recruits were first welcomed into the Army for the first time … an unforgettable event for anyone who has experienced it. The effected personnel were reassigned to battalions in Beckley, West Virginia, Cleveland, and Harrisburg. The Army Military Processing Station located in the Federal Building will still be operational.

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Sports Update:

Against all odds, Pitt won four games in a row, in four days! Thereby winning the Big East Championship! These hardwood warriors toppled the No. 1 seed Georgetown 74-65 in the finals Saturday night … they took Madison Square Garden by Storm! Well done!

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This is the last winter column of 2008. Before next week Spring will bring new life, and hope for a better tomorrow. May it also bring you hope as well.

Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

POT HOLES ARE EVIL

Pothole Mucho Grande

Typical Pot Hole Infested Road

Things back here in Western Pennsylvania have been running the gauntlet of a pre-spring last gasp winters trough. The temperatures have skirted the normalcy range all month, and with all of the above, the potholes have become the evil demon that demands payment for traveling across its roads. They have become particularly nasty this winter. Kids are building their hubcap collection, as auto parts and tire stores are building their coffers.

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A local Charleroi native is about to celebrate his 63rd anniversary of being rescued and released as a Prisoner of War in 1945. He was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. John D. Kanppenberger, who is now 85 years young, was a 1940 graduate of Charleroi High School. He was in the First Battalion of the 28th division, as a machine gun squad jeep driver.

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Sports Update:

Sidney Crosby is back from his 21 missed games injury, returning like a flash on the ice. He looks like he never left, and the Penguins are within one point of first-place New Jersey in the Atlantic Division.

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Keep your heads down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania

The USS New York

The USS New York

The United States Marine Memorial, Washington DC

Saturday, March 2, 2008 must have been terrifying and reached deep down into the beast that attacked America, as a vision appeared on the horizon. The Twin-Towers like the Phoenix rose out of the ashes, the manifestation of all its flesh and steel becoming the physical and spiritual soul of the USS New York; the birth of this ship was complete by being christened on this day. The bow was built out of steel from the fallen towers, like a sword tempered for battle, can in turn strike back at its attackers.

History must be remembered to be a lesson from which to learn from. The attack on Pearl Harbor that changed America forever was the turning point to our survival. The alternative is not even thinkable. Even during World War Two there were political foes, critics, and those in power who did not want to get into the fray. If we did not, America would not be America on this night I assure you.

Once again we were attacked without warning, and for only being who we are again. You, and all who fight with you from our ally countries are again fighting to save our country and our way of life. Sure, there are again political foes, critics, and those in power who did not want to get into the fray, but you know better as do we. What you do no matter what you may see in the media is so very crucial and important for your country, for your children’s future, and for your buddies who stand behind you right now!

I try and keep political opine out of my column as much as possible, but on this day with the USS New York standing so proudly, filled with a few thousand American souls, I felt compelled to not only report the christening, but also to let you know that you are America. I salute you.

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The weather has been anything but routine back here in western Pennsylvania. We have been a party to twice the normal snowfall in February. The temperature swings have been egregious to the sensibilities of an old man, but a playground for the young. Spring is closing in on us, and I will keep you informed on all the expected celebrations. The year being the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh will bear all kinds of special events for me to report on all year long. Hopefully, some of you western PA boys will make it home to enjoy some of the events in person.

Keep your head down,

Henry Hill, Plum Pennsylvania